OHANA NUI - OFF TOPIC SUB-FORUM Latest Topics

Garden Visitors

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 06:32:10 +0000

We get a fair amount of wildlife in the garden here, including Wallabies And Kangaroos, plus many other native animals, birds and reptiles.

This little Wallaby was happily munching on the Singapore Daisy this afternoon. Even though wet from the rain, his fur is much darker than that of the usual wallabies we get around here.

Daryl

The Resurgance of a Menace.. Squirm Alert

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 20:17:52 +0000

**** Fair warning ..For those a bit squeem-ish when it comes to gross things, you might want to look away.. ****

A few years back, i'd mentioned something ..somewhere.. regarding an insect " pest " that legitimately qualifies as a threat.. Not necessarily to plants, but to ..anything else, inc. humans..

While flies themselves are pretty gross creatures, the New World Screw worm, Cochliomyia homnivorax ups the " Gross " factor ..just a bit.. The Latin name literally translates to " Man Eater " ..and yes, this Bug- eyed, Obligate Parasite can kill a man ( ..or woman ) and was once one of the greatest threats to livestock in the US " back in the day " ...up until it was eradicated from the US in the early 80s.

That campaign continued thru the 90s / earlier 2Ks until this insect was beaten back to -roughly- the Darien Gap in Panama. Beyond that, in South America, and some islands in the Caribbean where it hangs on, the efforts to fully take out this insect has been challenging due to terrain, costs, and / or political will.

It was gone here in the states until it quietly reappeared in the FL. Keys sometime in 2016 where the outbreak seen there killed numerous Key Deer, and was detected in a stray Dog in Homestead just north of the designated quarantine zone there before the control measures used to knock down this insect worked as planned.

Fast forward to last summer, and while doing my yearly " check in " on efforts to control / any new, general research on this insect, there were reports coming out of both Panama and Costa Rica of new outbreaks being seen in some areas of both countries.

Tack on another year and it appears the threat posed by this insect is quickly spreading across all of Central America, with a detection noted in Chiapas in the last couple weeks.. This is occurring despite re-invigorated and stepped up efforts to get the more severe outbreaks in Panama and Costa Rica under control again..

When i'd read the last reports of it being detected in Guatemala, i had a feeling it wouldn't be long until it reached southern Mexico.. That has happened.. Question now is ..how far north will it progress? ..and can the control efforts currently underway stop the advance - before- outbreaks are detected much closer to the US?

Before full eradication, when it roamed the US, outbreaks were seen as far west as central California, As far north as the Central Plains and Southeastern states, north of FL. It was also sporadically detected in the upper Midwest during years when conditions were ideal.

Another question regarding this current resurgence involves whether or not the female flies of this species have gained some sort of new ability to " sus out " the sterilized males released and now avoid them.. That would destroy the current means of effective control of course. Maybe a vaguely rumoured strain of the species that was rumoured to possess some resistance to radiation, that is spreading into new areas is responsible?? ..Time will tell...

Regardless, putting this out there as a " Keep your eyes -and ears- on this situation over the coming months " kind of advise, rather than a " The sky is about to fall " alarm. Understand the difference..

Highly doubt this fly will return to the US -in any great numbers at least- but, We'll have to see since -so far- the extra aggressive response to this current situation isn't seeming to have much effect.. That said, ..as was the case in the past when the battle began, full, regional control can take up to several years..

In that time, reports of sporadic, localized outbreaks aren't completely out of the question further north in Mexico, and / or possibly in FL. again, and perhaps the border regions of Texas / other states, depending on what weather events occur.. It is thought that the outbreak seen in FL. was a result of flies being blown north from Cuba by a Hurricane. Should such occur, it wouldn't be out of the question that the occasional sterilized fly turns up in someone's yard.

Won't post it here but there is a really good observation on iNaturaliust that details the trademark markings of adult NWS flies, ...as compared to the ..roughly, 4 or 5 other species of similar looking fly species that are common in the US, None of which cause the same issues as NWS.

One significant step has apparently been made in that the US has now suspended all imports of Cattle from Mexico. I don't doubt restrictions on the importation / movement of other livestock may occur if outbreaks expand north beyond far southern Mexico over the coming months.

Something to monitor casually, but closely..

Related articles... Will add more when / if need be..

*** As stated at the top, .If gross things make ya' squirm, turn away ***

Scientists built a great wall to keep out the ‘man devourer’ – but now it’s fighting back

https://www.cdc.gov/coca/hcp/trainings/resurgence-new-world-screwworm.html

https://u.osu.edu/beef/2024/11/27/cattle-imports-from-mexico-restricted-after-new-world-screwworm-detection/

https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/30599/Twice-eradicated-parasite-threatens-northward?autologincheck=redirected

Happy Easter!!

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 12:54:05 +0000

Happy Easter everyone! Jesus has risen! I hope everyone has a great day spending time with family and worshiping God!.

Sunrises

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:29:27 +0000

To bad I can't sit on the beach and watch the sun rise every morning...work tends to dictate otherwise. However they are still nice to see while driving to work.

Morning has broken!! (what song is this line from?)

Cloud Photos

Thu, 29 Aug 2013 21:48:06 +0000

I noticed sunrays through the clouds yesterday, so I snapped a few cloud pics. I love cloud pics, please have a look and add some too.

MLB 2026 Thread

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:01:04 +0000

It's that time again. It's time for me to be all doom and gloom about my Cubs, time for @Butch to talk about the Dodgers, and for @Fusca to occasionally chime in.

The Cubs actually signed a quality player in the off-season so who knows. Enjoy this year because the lockout is coming next year. Get your 47 different streaming services ready!

I think the greatest news this off-season is ESPN isn't going to bore us to death every Sunday night anymore. Anyway Go Cubs! Spring training games start in just a few hours.

Not just for our Aussie contributors

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:45:37 +0000

Dolphins in Largo

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:25:44 +0000

IMG_2209.mov

Shipping 😑

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 18:20:29 +0000

This right here is why I only use UPS.

What the hell is my package from California doing in New Jersey?

favorite movie directors

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:08:26 +0000

who are yer favorite movie directors?

i think terry gilliam is brilliant.he has directed "time bandits","12 monkeys",& "brazil" to name a few.

plus i grew up watching "monty pythons flying circus" reruns on PBS,perhaps explaining my tendency towards snarkasm.

Are There Alligators In The VA Beach Area?

Tue, 03 Jul 2018 01:32:58 +0000

I was recently reading about alligators and read that some have "slipped" over the boarder into Virginia. Obviously right along the boarder and coast. Does anyone think this is true or that there are any there maybe going in and out of Virginia?

Fire ants

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 21:32:28 +0000

I dunno how common this knowledge is, but fire ants can't stand the smell of cedar. They had mounded up all around one of my Trachies and I just snapped a couple twigs off the cedar tree and stuck them in the mound. Now I just have a Trachy covered in dirt.

Rainbows

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 18:36:01 +0000

We have threads for sunsets, sunrises, pets, clouds, and so on. Let’s add rainbows.

Carpentry Hobby

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 03:13:29 +0000

Since retiring from being a history teacher I'm messing around w/carpentry. Some things I've built.

Headboard and footboard for guest bed.

Night stand for the wife

My wife is a quilter so I built this to store them once finished

Table for her sewing machine

Outdoor storage shed

Master of Puppets!

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 04:57:07 +0000

I can't believe this album is 40 years old. Sirius XM has been playing tracks from it all day on channel 42 and despite taking my meds I'm entirely too hyped up right now to relax. Such an amazing album.

I've talked a lot of smack after how they changed after the Black album but just to think this metal masterpiece is 40 years old is kinda throwing me off. I'm definitely overdue for a prostate check and colon screening, but damn. Damage Inc just goes so hard, the whole album from start to finish is just amazing.

Night Scenes: The all - encompassing night photo subjects thread

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 20:06:04 +0000

We have dedicated, master threads for Cloud Photos, Rainbows, Garden Visitors / Sunsets / Sunrises here ..But, ..where is a master Night Photography thread?     ..Think it is time for one..

Palms included in the shots ..or not..   Post your night shots..    In the city, ..or out in the woods..   post em'     From somewhere near home, or taken while on vacation thousands of miles away ..post em'

You get the picture.. Now get snapping.

Nothing award winning, but testing out the camera last night, was fairly satisfied w/ some of the test shots..   Shots of the Moon ( Solar Eclipse on the 15th of May, btw ) and lightning shots to come this summer will be the real test. On this specific camera, i'm only able to go up to a 15 second exposure.. Good enough, for now. Testing video image quality later.

Out front, facing east:

W/ more traffic

Later, once most of the traffic has subsided for the night..

Out back:

Facing west, near total darkness ( in - city standards ). No direct light from the street lights out front / others.

Testing the zoom on the Palms next door

...And out front, from over the roof..

Not too bad..

Sunsets

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:21:47 +0000

Each evening after work (when it's not raining) I try to get some exercise, so I go for a walk. I walk along the intercoastal waterway (in south Florida) for first half of the walk and along the ocean for the last half. The views are tough to take. Anyway, all of a sudden I started noticing these incredible sunsets so I started taking pictures with my cell phone. Here are a few...

YouTube channel

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 04:02:38 +0000

Hey y'all I made a Youtube channel if any of you guys would like to sub I would really appreciate it https://www.youtube.com/@PaTropics (by the way I don't know if this is allowed to advertise my channel sorry if it isn't) I'll upload some videos tomorrow

YouTube Login

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:04:01 +0000

Well, this morning, I can no longer view YouTube as a "guest". No more weather reports or palm videos without using a Google account. With my phone, I'm signed in. On our ROKU TVs, I usually use guest. Well, no more.

Gasparilla 2026

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:12:31 +0000

Any Floridian pirates attend the event? Please share some photos

favorite band/artist

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:00:04 +0000

Okay what's everyone's favorite band or artist. Mine would have to be Green Day.

MLB 2025 Thread

Sat, 31 May 2025 17:03:39 +0000

This is the first year in eternity I didn't get MLB.tv, so I'm in withdrawal. But my beloved Cubbies are currently in first place despite injuries to their top 2 SP's. They finally trade for a superstar player, and Cubs Twitter is confident he won't be resigned and lol just like every other star free agent, he'll probably end up a Dodger.

Umpires are still terrible, still a rash of pitching injuries around the league, and the season is 1/3 over and the Rockies have only won 9 games. 9. 9 games. The White Sox last year were the worst team of all time, and that record looks to be absolutely smashed.

Northern Lights/Aurora

Sat, 11 May 2024 05:10:33 +0000

A little something you don't see everyday.in AZ. I was able to capture a few pics of my largest date palm with a bit of the northern lights/aurora in the background. Hopefully others were able to snap a few pics. Photos were just taking with a cellphone camera.

Pets

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 13:08:37 +0000

Wonder what pets everyone has. My choice might not be everyone's cup of tea, certainly my wife dislikes him immensely but I love my south west Australian carpet python.

Football Season 2025

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 00:10:30 +0000

As a Saints fan who went to Mississippi State, I'm prepared to be monumentally disappointed this year. I was kind of looking forward to watching other college games, but now with the transfer portal and NIL money, it's... I dunno, it just doesn't feel right. I don't have any issues with college players getting paid, they deserve it - but there's college quarterbacks making more money than NFL playoff quarterbacks, and that's just insane.

Anyway, Who Dat, Hail Damn State, and I guess I'm already looking forward to MLB 2026.